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� �
� � � � � � � � � � �Example Guardmouse
A character in Mouse Guard has a variety of
descriptions and abilities attached to him.
Detailed below is a sample character:
SadieSadie is a well-regarded patrol guard from Port
Sumac. Gwendolyn trusts her with independent
and difficult missions.
Age: 26 Parents: Thane & Ilsa
Home: Port Sumac Senior: Quinn the Cook
Fur Color: Brown Mentor: Leith
Rank: Patrol Guard Enemy: Shane the Trader
Cloak: Plum Friend: Bonnie the Innkeeper
Raw Abilities Rating Special Abilities Rating
Nature � � � � � � 5 Resources 2
Will 4 Circles 3
Health 4
Belief: A guardmouse needs to be able to think with her head and act with her heart.
Goal: I will discover why Conrad’s communications from Calogero have stopped.
Instinct: Never delay when on a mission.
Skills: Weather Watcher 4, Survivalist 4, Fighter 3, Pathfinder 3, Scout 2, Haggler 2, Boatcrafter 2, Cook 2, Persuader 2, Coast-wise 3, Star-wise 2, Herb-wise 2
Tr aits: Clever (1), Tough (1)
Gear: Sling, stones, a pair of well-balanced knives
� �
We’re going to review all of the elements of a
Mouse Guard character point by point: Name,
Age, Fur Color, Home, Parents, Senior Artisan,
Friend, Enemy, Mentor, Guard Rank, Cloak
Color, Belief, Instinct, Goal, Nature, Will, Health,
Resources, Circles, Skills, Wises, Gear, Traits,
Conditions and Rewards.
Each entry provides the description for that facet
of the character and the basic mechanics for
using it in the game.
Follow along with a character sheet as we go
through this section together.
mouseguard
� � � � � � � � � � � � �� � � ! � � " # � � � � " � � � �$ # � � � % � � � # � �& ' � ( # ) # � � & � " � � * �+ ' � � * , � � - � . � � � / �( ) # � - ( # ) # � � 0 1 2 3One point alllows you to reroll
any 6s as new dice4 3 5 6 7 8 1Add one die per point spent
or tap Nature 9 : ; < < =Skill Rating Advancement Skill Rating Advancement
fighterP:F: orator
P:F:
healerP:F: deceiver
P:F:
hunterP:F: persuader
P:F:
instructorP:F:
P:F:
pathfinder P:F:
P:F:
scoutP:F:
P:F:
survivalistP:F:
P:F:
weather watcherP:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
P:F:
> ? ; < ; @ ; A =Raw Abilities Rating Advancement Special Abilities Rating Advancement
nature B % # ' � � C P:F: resources
P:F:
willP:F: circles
P:F:
healthP:F:
D 7 8 E F 2 F 7 8 6Healthy
Hungry/Thirsty- 1 to disposition to any confl ict.
Angry (Ob 2 Will)- 1 to disposition for any confl ict that uses Will as its base.
Tired (Ob 3 Health)-1 to disposition for all confl icts.
Injured (Ob 4 Health)- 1D to skills, Nature, Will and Health (but not recovery).
Sick (Ob 4 Will)- 1D to skills, Nature, Will and Health (but not recovery).
trait name trait level beneificial uses checks
1 +1D per session2 +1D per roll3 Reroll failed dice
Used this session— May be used on each roll.Used this session
1 +1D per session2 +1D per roll3 Reroll failed dice
Used this session— May be used on each roll.Used this session
1 +1D per session2 +1D per roll3 Reroll failed dice
Used this session— May be used on each roll.Used this session
1 +1D per session2 +1D per roll3 Reroll failed dice
Used this session— May be used on each roll.Used this session
1 +1D per session2 +1D per roll3 Reroll failed dice
Used this session— May be used on each roll.Used this session
When testing, roll the number of dice listed with your ability or skill.Independent Tests: The player must roll 4s or better (“successes”) equal to the obstacle.
Versus Tests: The player must generate more successes than his opponent.
I Am Wise: You may add +1D by incorporating one of your related wises.
Teamwork: Help from another player adds +1D
basic dice
rules
G 1 5 8 F 8 H D I 3 J K 61: -1D to your ind. or vs. test
2: +2D to opponent’s vs. test
2: Break versus test tie in
opponent’s favorL M 3 8 E F 8 H D I 3 J K 61: One test during Players’ Turn
2: Recovery check during
GM’s Turn
3: Charge: temporarily elevate
trait for remainder of session
2/4: Recharge trait
Mouse Nature can be used for, escaping, climbing, hiding and foraging.Acting with your Nature: Use Nature in place of any relevant skill.
Acting against Nature: Use Nature in place of any ability or skill, if test is failed, Nature is
taxed by the margin of failure.
Tapping Nature: You may spend a persona point to add your Nature rank to any roll
aside from Resources and Circles. If outside of your Nature, the ability is automatically
taxed by 1. If the roll is failed, Nature is taxed by margin of failure.
nature rules
P= Pass; successful tests
l f l d
Advancement requires: Passed tests equal to the skill rank and failed tests equal to on
l h h k k ll l k
N � ) " � O+ # � )P � � � " � Q �( # � � � Q � �+ � � �R � � " � �Playing a
Belief earns
a fate point
Accomplishing
a Goal earns a
persona point
Playing an
Instinct earns
a fate point
Sadie
26
Port Sumac
Brown
Patrol Guard
Plum
Thane & Ilsa
Quinn the Cook
Leith
Bonnie the Innkeeper
Shane the Trader
A guardmouse needs to be able to think with her head and act with her heart.
I will discover why Conrad’s communications from Calogero have stopped.
Never delay when on a mission.
Sling, stones, a pair of well-balanced knives
Clever
Tough
x
x
1
1
4
5 5
4
2
3
—
—
2
Haggler 2
Coast-wise 3
Star-wise 2
Herb-wise 2
3
—
—
—
3
2
4
4
Cook 2
Boatcrafter 2
� S
� � � � � � � � � � �Name
Each character has a unique name, whether it’s
a player’s character or one controlled by the GM.
Mice in the Territories tend to have Old English-
sounding names: Lieam, Saxon, Kenzie, Sadie,
Celanawe, Gwendolyn, Rand and Roibin.
AgeMice can enter the Guard as a tenderpaw as
early as age 14. They can be officially inducted
into the Guard at age 18. Most guardmice retire
before the age of 60.
Sadie is 26. Still young in overall terms, but she’s no longer a spry, young tenderpaw.
Fur ColorThere are five fur colors prominent in the
Territories: brown, blonde, gray, black and red.
Brown is most common, followed by blonde and
gray. Black is uncommon and red is rare.
Sadie’s fur is a nice shade of light brown.
HomeEach city in the Territories has a unique feel.
Though they are all part of the culture of the
Territories, there are local variations on tradition,
craft and trade. Each guardmouse has ties to
the town in which he was born. These ties are
among the factors that shape who he is.
There are eight cities and towns in the Territories
that produce most of the Guard: Lockhaven,
Sprucetuck, Barkstone, Ivydale, Copperwood,
Port Sumac, Shaleburrow and Elmoss. These
settlements and others are discussed in the
Territories chapter of this book.
Sadie was born in Port Sumac.
ParentsOnce inducted into the Guard, a mouse does not
get a chance to visit home very often. However,
family is very important to the mice of the
Territories. Guardmice will attempt to use their
patrols as excuses to visit their families during
the holidays. Some guardmice even request
winter quarters in their home cities so they can
spend part of the year with their parents.
In addition to providing guidance and support, a
mouse’s parents give him his trade. Nearly every
mouse in the Territories takes up his mother’s
or father’s work. Though the Guard have more
pressing duties, many bring their skills with
them when they join and use them to benefit the
Guard overall.
� T
Sadie’s parents are Thane and Ilsa. Her dad, Thane, is a boatcrafter. Her mom, Ilsa, works at a tavern.
Parents During PlayDuring play, if you’re in your home
city, you may call on your parents for
aid. You may sleep at their home and
eat at their table. Parents will try to provide their
sons and daughters in the Guard with supplies
as well.
Senior ArtisanA young mouse seeking to join the Guard applies
in either spring or fall. He meets with the guard
captain in charge of new recruits and is welcomed
into Lockhaven. Raw recruits are distributed
among the various tradesmice in Lockhaven
to act as assistants, laborers and apprentices.
For their first two seasons of service, they are
apprenticed to these artisans.
These tradesmice serve the material needs of the
Guard. They provide them with weapons, armor,
food and other sundry supplies. They are vital to
the survival of Lockhaven and the Territories.
Often, but not always, a mouse is placed with a
senior artisan whose trade is similar to his own.
In this case, he doesn’t have to be trained from
the ground up; he can aid them with his own
knowledge. Sometimes, Lockhaven and the Guard
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� � � � � � � � � � �have needs that overtake such considerations.
In times of war, drought, famine or other trials,
mice are placed where they are needed most—as
laborers, foragers or harvesters.
Sadie trained under Quinn the Cook when she first came to Lockhaven.
Senior Artisans During PlayA guardmouse’s senior artisan will
provide his former charge with aid
whenever the guardmouse is in Lockhaven if he
is able. Senior Artisans can provide him with
supplies relevant to his trade, basic sundries like
food and water, and perhaps a loan.
Friend or AllyEach character has a friend or ally
whom he may call on for aid. You tell
the GM and the other players about
your friend’s personality and his position—if
he’s in the Guard or not, where he lives, what his
trade is. Thereafter, your friend may be found in
this location in play.
Once play begins, the GM controls the friend
characters for the players.
Sadie’s best friend is Bonnie. She’s the owner of the Rustkettle Tavern in Darkwater. They were childhood friends.
Friend characters, if asked, will always
try to help. They’ll offer whatever they
can—time, resources, advice.
Enemy or RivalEach character also has an enemy or rival. This is
a character whom they know either from before
their time in the Guard, or another guardmouse
with whom they are not on the best of terms.
You may tell the GM and the other
players about your enemy’s personality
and his position in a similar fashion to
the rules for friends.
A trader out of Wolfepointe named Shane considers Sadie his enemy. They had some bad dealings a few years back.
Once play begins, the GM controls the
enemy characters for the players. He may
have them appear in the story at his discretion.
An enemy character will only help you if it serves
his own self-interest—only if it makes him look
better than you do in the end.
MentorAfter his apprenticeship, the recruit is granted
the provisional rank of tenderpaw and assigned
a guardmouse as a mentor. His mentor slowly
introduces the tenderpaw to patrolling and other
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Guard duties. The tenderpaw’s job is to do the
labor and grunt work so the more experienced
Guard’s paws and mind are free for facing the
dangers they encounter. After a few seasons
under the tutelage of the mentor, the mentor will
recommend the tenderpaw recruit to Gwendolyn
for promotion to guardmouse rank.
It is the mentor’s role to train the recruit as he
sees fit. Some mentors may have more rigorous
training methods or requirements than others.
Some may focus on different aspects of Guard
life—some may emphasize Weather Watching
as one of the most important ways to stay free of
danger, while others may focus on fighting and
some stress scouting and pathfinding.
Patrol guard Leith mentored Sadie when she was a tenderpaw. He taught her how to survive in the wild in nearly any condition.
Mentor During PlayDuring play, you may call on your
mentor for aid. Mentors are busy
guardmice with their own duties and
missions, but most mentors will do what they
can to aid their former students.
Most mentors, unless stationed at Lockhaven,
can be found wandering the Territories, rarely
in the same place twice. You may tell the GM
and the other players about your mentor’s
personality. Each player may state if he is on
favorable or unfavorable terms with his mentor
so the GM has a guideline to follow in play. You
may also tell the GM where your mentor is most
likely to be found in the Territories: patrolling
the Scent Border, doing the mail run to Elmoss,
on station at Calogero, etc. That’s the first place
you’ll find your mentor.
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� � � � � � � � � � �Once play begins, the GM controls the mentor
characters for the players. The student’s
relationship with his mentor will grow and
change. The mentor will watch his student’s
progress and judge whether he learned the
lessons set before him during training.
Mentors will freely give advice, but they
will only actively help their student if the
student’s life is threatened or the fate of a city or
the Territories themselves are at stake. A mentor
will never undertake his student’s duties for him.
The student must prove his worth to the Guard!
Guard RankThere are five ranks within the Mouse Guard:
tenderpaw, guardmouse, patrol guard, patrol
leader and guard captain.
Tenderpaws are fresh recruits. Guardmice are
the foot soldiers of the Guard. Patrol guard are
veteran guardmice responsible for complicated
or independent missions. Patrol leaders are
patrol guard who have demonstrated that they
can think independently and guide other mice.
Guard captains are powerful mice appointed to
the highest rank in the Guard due to their long-
standing commitment and exemplary service.
Sadie is a high-ranking and well-regarded patrol guard. She’s been in the Guard for a number of years and has steadily advanced in
rank. Gwendolyn trusts her with independent and difficult missions.
Cloak ColorA guardmouse’s cloak is granted to him after
he has completed his apprenticeship under his
mentor. It is presented at his formal induction
ceremony by his mentor. The mentor always
chooses the color for his graduating apprentice.
The color represents how the mentor views his
former student’s disposition and personality.
BeliefA Belief is an ethical or moral statement that
encompasses how the character views his world.
It is also a way for the player to explore part of
the Mouse Guard world.
In the very first issue of the comic, Kenzie tells
Lieam his Belief, taken from one of the Guard’s
mottoes: “It matters not what you fight, but
what you fight for.” This statement informs all
of Kenzie’s decisions. He is fighting for a higher
purpose—not glory or personal success—but
for the honor of the Guard and the safety of the
Territories.
Sadie : A guardmouse needs to be able to think with her head and act with her heart.
� X
You write a Belief for your character.
Beliefs should speak to some higher
purpose. They shouldn’t be goals you
can accomplish; they’re ideals you live up to.
Playing your character’s Belief is one
way to get rewarded in the game. If
you’re not playing your character’s
Belief, and subsequently not getting rewarded,
you should change it. Beliefs can be changed at
the beginning or end of a session. Writing a
Belief and earning rewards is detailed in It’s
What We Fight For.
GoalEach character has a Goal—a task, mission or
vow that he is trying to complete.
I will discover why Conrad’s communications from Calogero have stopped.
That’s Sadie’s Goal for her first mission. A Goal
can be accomplished in one session of play. This
means that most Goals change every session.
You write a new Goal for the session based on
the mission handed down from the GM for this
session and based on the developments in the
previous session.
Accomplishing your Goal earns a
reward. You want to be rewarded at
the end of every session, so make sure
you accomplish what you set out to do!
Writing a Goal and earning rewards is detailed
in It’s What We Fight For.
InstinctAn Instinct in this game is a habit or reaction.
It’s something that the character always does. If
someone were describing your character, they’d
probably mention this about him.
Never delay when on a mission.
If you play your character’s Instinct—
if you act out the trigger and condition
written there—then you are rewarded.
Instincts are also discussed in this chapter and
in It’s What We Fight For.
Inherent AbilitiesA Mouse Guard character has five inherent
abilities—Nature, Will, Health, Resources and
Circles. All mice share these same five abilities.
NatureNature stands for the mouse’s natural qualities
and tendencies. It represents what he was born
to do, what helps him survive in the wild and
cruel world.
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[ \ ] ^ _ ` a ] b ` c d eThe Nature ability is unique among all the
other abilities. While it has a rating like other
abilities and skills, it also notes the animal to
which it belongs and includes three or four
descriptions.
For Mouse Guard characters, it’s always Nature (Mouse).
For a snake it is “Nature (Snake);” for a weasel it is “Nature (Weasel).”
Nature is rated from 0 to 7. The higher your
Nature rank, the more mouse-like you are. The
lower your rank, the more “human” you are.
For mice, there are four aspects that
follow: Escaping, Climbing, Hiding, Foraging.
These describe the situations in which you can
use your Nature without penalty. If you use your
Nature in situations outside of escaping,
climbing, hiding and foraging, you risk losing a
bit of it.
Sadie uses her Nature to escape from Calogero after being trapped inside by crabs.
Nature is one of the most important parts of this
game. See the Nature section in the Abilities and
Skills chapter for all the juicy details.
WillThe Will ability represents how men-
tally resilient, sociable and adaptable
your mouse is.
Will is rated from 1 to 6. It is tested when
you’re resisting another character who is
trying to convince you of something.
Sadie has a Will of 4. She’s well-rounded and tough, but she’s not as adaptable or experienced as, say, Kenzie.
Will is also used to overcome the mental trials of
life on the road, like anger and illness.
In addition, it is used to break ties in tests
requiring mental strength or insight. See the
Resolution chapter for the rules on ties and
breaking them.
HealthHealth represents your mouse’s
physical strength and well-being.
Younger mice tend to be healthier than
the oldfurs.
The Health ability is rated from 1 to 6. It is
most frequently tested when trying to resist the
physical trials of life on the road—fatigue and
injury.
Sadie’s Health is 4. She’s solid and in good shape. However, she’s not a tenderpaw anymore. So she can’ t recover from all the bumps and scrapes as fast as a younger mouse like Lieam.
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Health is used for any physical test that
doesn’t fall under Nature or a skill—
running for a long distance to deliver a message,
for example.
It is also used to break ties for tests requiring
physical exertion. Again, see the Resolution
chapter for the rules on ties and breaking them.
ResourcesThe Resources ability represents what material
resources your character can produce. It can be
a measure of resourcefulness or wealth. You get
to decide. Either way, your rating in Resources
allows you to get stuff for your character.
Resources ratings range from 1 to 10.
If you pass a Resources test, you acquire
the item you were looking for. If a
Resources test is failed, the standard failure rules
apply or the GM may apply a special condition.
See the Resources section in the Abilities and
Skills chapter for details.
After the battle at Lockhaven, Sadie uses her Resources to outfit herself with a new leafboat, new paddles and new survivalist gear.
CirclesThe Circles ability determines how well-
connected your character is. It is rated from 1 to
10. When you want to find someone in a town,
you test your Circles.
When returning to Lockhaven after discovering the nature of the conspiracy, Sadie uses her Circles to make sure Rand is on duty when she arrives.
When Circles is used, new characters or
those from the guardmouse’s past are
introduced into the game.
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[ \ ] ^ _ ` a ] b ` c d eTesting Circles
When testing Circles, describe who
you’re looking for. What’s the mouse’s
job? What’s his attitude? If you pass your
Circles test, your character meets the mouse
you were looking for. If you fail, the GM can
use the standard failure rules or use a special
twist called the Enmity Clause. See the Circles
section in the Abilities and Skills chapter for
details.
SkillsSkills represent your guardmouse’s training
and experience. Skills are very important to
the game. During play, you’ll test your skills
more than anything else. There are 34 skills
in the game: Administrator, Apiarist, Archivist,
Armorer, Baker, Boatcrafter, Brewer, Carpenter,
Cartographer, Cook, Deceiver, Fighter, Glazier,
Haggler, Harvester, Healer, Hunter, Insectrist,
Instructor, Laborer, Loremouse, Militarist, Miller,
Orator, Pathfinder, Persuader, Potter, Scientist,
Scout, Smith, Stonemason, Survivalist, Weather
Watcher and Weaver.
Your character can start with as many as
twelve skills. The most you can ever have
is 24.
Skills are so important they have their own
chapter. Each skill has an individual entry in the
Abilities and Skills chapter at the back of the book.
Sadie makes a Boatcrafter test to quickly reach the Calogero outpost.
WisesThere is a subset of skills called wises. Wises
reflect bits of specialized knowledge that each
guardmouse accumulates throughout his life.
Lockhaven-wise, Weasel-wise, Rain-wise, etc.
On her way up to Calogero, Sadie uses her Coast-wise to find a route that will allow her to approach undetected.
In play, wises are tested and advance just
like skills. Wises can be used in three
ways: You can test to elicit information about a
hidden fact from the GM. You can test to bring
in a new fact about something in the game that’s
relevant to your wise’s area. Or you can use a
wise to augment a skill test.
Numbers and RatingsThe number next to your character’s abilities
and skills—Nature 3, Resources 4, Fighter 5, for
example—indicates how many dice to roll when
that ability is called upon. We call this a rating.
In general, a rating of 1 is bad. 2 is barely
skilled. 3 is decent. 4 is good. 5 is excellent. 6 is
expert.
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Sadie has a Weather Watcher 4 and a Survivalist 4, but her Persuader and Scout are only 2. She’s used to running long missions that involve a lot of waiting.
TraitsTraits are quirks and special qualities possessed
by your character. There are 50 traits to choose
from: Bigpaw, Bitter, Bodyguard, Bold, Brave,
Calm, Clever, Compassionate, Cunning, Curious,
Deep Ear, Defender, Determined, Driven, Early
Riser, Extrovert, Fat, Fearful, Fearless, Fiery,
Generous, Graceful, Guard’s Oath, Innocent,
Jaded, Leader, Longtail, Lost, Natural Bearings,
Nimble, Nocturnal, Oldfur, Quick-Witted,
Quiet, Scarred, Sharp-Eyed, Sharptooth, Short,
Skeptical, Skinny, Stoic, Stubborn, Suspicious,
Tall, Thoughtful, Tough, Weather Sense, Wise,
Wolf’s Snout and Young.
Traits help your mouse, but they also trip him
up and get in his way. They help us roleplay—
they give us guidelines about the character’s
personality. How would a compassionate mouse
behave under pressure? What does being fearless
really mean?
Sadie is Tough. No matter what happens, she never gives up. She’s also Clever. She always has an idea for a smart solution or interesting ploy.
Traits are super important to the game—possibly
the most important part. Not because they’re
powerful (they’re not), but because of the way
they influence the decisions you make in play.
Like skills, traits have their own chapter in
the back of the book. Each trait has its own
description. The chapter also describes how to
use your traits in play, and how to gain and lose
traits.
The influence of traits in play is discussed in The
Mission and Resolution chapters.
ContactsUse the Contacts area of the character sheet to
note characters you’ve found using your Circles
ability. Be sure to write down if they are friendly
or an enemy.
You get +1D to your Circles tests when
bringing a friendly contact back into the
game.
GearGuardmice are self-sufficient. As a group, they’re
excellent survivalists, foragers and pathfinders.
They don’t need a lot of gear to get by in the
wild.
Sadie uses her Boatcrafter skill to make boats and paddles to aid her in her journeys.
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[ \ ] ^ _ ` a ] b ` c d eSometimes a useful item can come in
handy and help your guardmouse
overcome an obstacle in his way. Gear that’s
relevant to a problem adds +1D to your roll or
gives benefits according to the special conflict
rules described in the Resolution chapter.
Sadie’s paddles give her +1D when she’s piloting her leaf boats.
Weapon of ChoiceLife on the road is dangerous. Mice are prey to
many animals. And they aren’t natural fighters —
they aren’t equipped with the muscles, claws
and fangs of a predator. Thus, your weapon is
one piece of vital gear. There are 10 weapons
common to the Guard: shield, knife, sword, axe,
staff, hook and line, spear, halberd, sling and
bow. You get to pick one for your mouse!
Sadie’s weapons of choice are her well-balanced knives.
Can Only Carry So MuchMice are small. They can only carry so
much. You are limited in what you can
carry by the space in the Gear section on your
character sheet. If you run out of space, you
have to get rid of something.
You can’t use the space in Contacts, Traits or
Conditions. Any gear written in those areas is
considered dropped and unavailable.
ConditionsLife on the road is hard. If a mouse isn’t careful,
it’ll grind him down. In the game, we represent
the toll of the patrols and missions on your
mouse with conditions.
There are six conditions: Healthy, Hungry and
Thirsty, Angry, Tired, Injured and Sick.
Obviously, being Healthy is the optimal condition.
During the course of play, your character will be
made Hungry, Angry or Tired. He also might be
Injured or fall Sick. Once any other condition is
earned, your character is no longer Healthy. You
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may return to being Healthy by recovering from
your conditions. Recovery is described in The
Mission.
You may accumulate multiple conditions. You
may be Hungry and Tired or Angry and Sick or
even Thirsty, Angry, Tired, Injured and Sick!
The Hungry and Thirsty, Tired and Angry
conditions affect your mouse during
tense, important situations called conflicts. They
don’t affect every roll.
After she witnesses the death of Conrad, Sadie is upset. This falls under the Angry condition. She doesn’ t blame anyone for her friend’s death. She’s simply upset at the cruelty of nature.
Being Injured and Sick affects every roll,
except Health and Will rolls to recover
from conditions.
RewardsAt the end of each session, each player can earn
rewards. You earn them based on the way you play
your character—his Belief, Goal and Instinct—
and how you stand up in the face of danger.
There are two types of reward points: fate and
persona.
FateFate points represent luck and good fortune
smiling down on your character.
Fate points are spent after a roll in which
some of your dice came up 6s. If you
choose to spend a fate point, count the number
of 6s you rolled. Pick up one new die for each 6.
Roll those dice and add any successes to the
total from the first roll. If you roll more 6s in the
second roll, keep going! Pick up another die for
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[ \ ] ^ _ ` a ] b ` c d eeach new 6 and roll again. Keep rolling new dice
until you don’t roll any more 6s. Count up all the
successes you rolled.
PersonaPersona points represent a special reserve of
inner strength that your character has built up
over the course of his trials in the Guard.
Persona points are spent before you roll.
These points can do two things. Each
point spent can add +1D to your roll. Add the
bonus dice to your total before you roll and then
roll like normal. You may spend up to three
persona points to add bonus dice at once.
Alternately, persona points can be used to tap
your Nature ability.
Tapping Nature
By spending a persona point, the player
may add his Nature ability rating to any
ability or skill test.
If the test is within his Nature and successful,
then the Nature ability rating remains
unchanged.
If the test is against his Nature and successful,
Nature is temporarily reduced by 1.
If the test is failed, whether it was with or
against Nature, Nature is temporarily reduced
by the margin of failure.
Sadie tapped her Nature to outwit and outrun the crabs that attacked her and Conrad at Calogero.
See the Abilities and Skills chapter for a detailed
look at the Nature ability.
Earning RewardsEarning rewards is done by playing your Belief,
accomplishing your Goal and using your Instinct.
This process is described in the It’s What We
Fight For chapter.
Kenzie, Saxon and Lieam
Here are the other three members of Sadie’s
patrol. They’ll be used in examples throughout
the book, so glance them over. Also, you may
play the game using any of these examples as
your character.
Y k
KenzieKenzie is a patient and calm patrol leader. As
a veteran of the Weasel War, he’s seen many
adventures and hardships in his tenure in the
Guard. Kenzie is loyal and devoted to his best
friend, Saxon. Though they are of different
temperaments, Kenzie always consults his friend
before taking action.
Age: 31 Parents: Ailfrid & Laurel
Home: Willowroot Senior: Fabron the Assistant Weaponsmith of Lockhaven
Fur Color: Gray Mentor: Odell (deceased)
Rank: Patrol Leader Enemy: Katlynn the Archivist
Cloak: Royal Blue Friend: Jasper the Storyteller
Raw Abilities Rating Special Abilities Rating
Nature l m n o p q r 5 Resources 5
Will 5 Circles 4
Health 4
Belief: It’s not what you fight, but what you fight for.
Goal: I must find evidence that will determine if the grain peddler is a traitor or not.
Instinct: Always consult Saxon when trouble arises.
Skills: Persuader 5, Fighter 3, Healer 2, Instructor 2 , Survivalist 4, Weather Watcher 2, Archivist 2, Smith 2, Path-wise 2, Duck-wise 2, Escort-wise 2, Patrol leader-wise 2
Tr aits: Calm (1), Tall (1), Leader (1)
Gear: Staff, map and orders from Gwendolyn
s t
u v w x y z { w | z } ~ �SaxonSaxon is a fiery and stubborn mouse, famous
in the Guard for his skill in battle. Although he
has enough experience to be promoted to patrol
leader, Saxon passed up the opportunity in order
to remain in his friend Kenzie’s patrol.
Age: 28 Parents: Gill & Anne
Home: Flintrust Senior: Briar the Textile Master of Lockhaven
Fur Color: Brown Mentor: Loukas (deceased)
Rank: Patrol Guard Enemy: Roarke the Smith
Cloak: Red Friend: Samuel the Printer
Raw Abilities Rating Special Abilities Rating
Nature l m n o p q r 3 Resources 3
Will 4 Circles 3
Health 4
Belief: The best solution is always found at the point of my sword.
Goal: I will protect Kenzie and Lieam on this mission.
Instinct: Always draw my sword at the first sign of trouble.
Skills: Fighter 6, Pathfinder 5, Survivalist 2, Carpenter 2, Weaver 3, Deceiver 2, Weasel-wise 3, Darkheather-wise 2
Traits: Short (1), Fearless (1)
Gear: Sword and a belt
� �
LieamLieam is a young guardmouse who proved
himself a determined fighter during the defense
of Ferndale in the Weasel War two years ago.
Based on his service in the brutal fighting,
Saxon and Kenzie took him under their care
as a tenderpaw. He was quickly promoted to
guardmouse and given a dusty green cloak to
represent his ever-renewing spirit.
Age: 19 Parents: Jeph & Jann*
Home: Ferndale Senior: None! †
Fur Color: Red Mentors: Saxon & Kenzie
Rank: Guardmouse Enemy: Nicoll the Brewer
Cloak: Dusty Green Friend: Maya the Merchant
Raw Abilities Rating Special Abilities Rating
Nature l m n o p q r 4 Resources 2
Will 3 Circles 3
Health 5
Belief: A guardmouse never gives up no matter the danger.
Goal: I will show Kenzie and Saxon that I am a valuable member of the patrol.
Instinct: If there’s work to be done, always offer help.
Skills: Fighter 3, Pathfinder 3, Scout 5, Harvester 3, Laborer 2, Persuader 2, Harvest-wise 2, Hidey-hole-wise 2, Scent Border-wise 2
Tr aits: Determined (1), Defender (1)
Gear: Broadsword, whetstone
* Lieam’s parents are deceased.
† Lieam was inducted into the Guard under special circumstances in
the Winter War. He never apprenticed with an artisan in Lockhaven,
but he’s always willing to help anymouse who asks.